Fresh Holiday 2014 collection review + swatches (Part I)

           I've just returned from a trip to Pittsburgh with mom and our combined three little white dogs in tow. (It's a pet friendly city!) Despite being nearby, this was my first visit to the city ever --- it has this fascinating hilly landscape and steep roads that reminds me somewhat of San Francisco. During my quick stay, I had a fantastic locally sourced meal at The Porch at Schenley : Margherita Pizza, Duck Confit, and Tiramisu (so, so good). Overall, it was a nice trip, finished off with a dusting of snowflakes on our drive back.

         Speaking of inspired ingredients, I've added a couple fresh finds to my skincare and color arsenal as of late! I've been spoiled with festively packaged picks from Fresh Holiday 2014, courtesy of Fresh. I have two lovely gift sets: Fresh Sugar Legends and Fresh Skincare VIPs to share with with you today... shall we take a look?

           The Fresh Skincare VIPs ($70) are a set of great basics from the line, to the theme of Lotus, Soy, Seaberry, and Sugar. The mix of miniature and full sized items is a great way to try fresh skincare favorites without making a full investment. As you know, I've been traveling a lot these past couple of months, so you can bet I'll be slipping a couple of these conveniently sized pieces into my travel case (Lotus eye gel, I'm looking at you!)

          The set contains Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (1.7 fl.oz.), Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil (0.5 fl.oz.), Fresh Lotus Eye Gel (0.25 fl.oz.), Fresh Sugar Face Polish, and Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF15 (full size).

           I was most excited about the Fresh Sugar Face Polish. I left my usual exfoliating cleanser at home, and have been feeling the need for a good scrub. The face polish contains real brown sugar to soften and smoothen. It has a nice sugar + lemon too, to boot. Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil (0.5 fl.oz.) is a relatively new item to the line. The blend of pure oils has a nice herbal aroma; a couple drops apply comfortably to the face! Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF15 (full size) is a fan favorite lip balm, containing a blend of sugar, meadowfoam, black currant seed oils. This applies clear (i.e. isn't tinted), which makes it nice for everyday use alone or under a lip color.

Can everything smell like Fresh cucumber, please?

           I've used up a couple tubes of Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (1.7 fl.oz.) in the past, so I'm always happy to have another one in hand. The gentle cleanser has such a relaxing cucumber scent, as well as smooth, almost slippery texture when applied to the face. I'm new to the Fresh Lotus Eye Gel (0.25 fl.oz.), but am liking it thus far! It has that same relaxing cucumber scent, and a gel-like feel.

          The Fresh Sugar Legends ($55) set is a gorgeous, gorgeous set of seven mini tinted lip treatment favorites (including the new Fresh Sugar Tulip shade). Fresh has a comparable set every year, and they tend to go quickly, so if you're interested grab one while you can!

        The shades within the collection include: Fresh Sugar Petal, Tulip, Rosé, Honey, Cherry, Passion, and Berry.

I can't get over how cute and colorful these little tubes are!

          I've swatched all seven shades of Fresh Tinted Lip Treatments below. Fresh Sugar Petal is an easy to wear pink blossom. Fresh Sugar Tulip is a sheer hot pink. (Its probably my favorite of the bunch!) Fresh Sugar Rosé is a sheer rose.  Fresh Sugar Honey is a warm nude. Fresh Sugar Cherry is a sheer sunny red. It's a nice tint for the holiday season! Fresh Sugar Passion is a vibrant sheer mauve. Fresh Sugar Berry is, well, a pretty berry!

          At this point, I have a feeling that both the Fresh Sugar Legends and Fresh Skincare VIP sets speak for themselves. I adore the spa-like feel of Fresh products, so I have nothing but good things to say about these gifts. Both are great ways to try a variety of items, without breaking the bank. Plus, the mini sizes will come in handy during my travels. They'll go quickly (if they're not gone already), so be sure to grab one to gift (and for yourself) while they're still around! You'll find Fresh gift sets at Fresh cosmetics online, Sephora, and other fine retailers!

         Thanks for reading! What are some of your Fresh favorites? What is your favorite shade of Fresh Sugar lip treatment?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. I have more Fresh sets on the way, so stay tuned...
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own. As usual, no ads or affiliate links!

TATCHA Jet Set Travel Kit review + photos

       If all goes well, I'm hoping to do a bit of traveling in the upcoming months. I guess TATCHA must have read my mind, because they sent me a cute kit that should come in handy for a girl on the move! Today I have a look at the new TATCHA Jet Set Travel Kit to share with you today!

        TATCHA is a lovely niche Asian-inspired skincare brand that's always welcome in my skincare routine. I love the carefully crafted aesthetic of their packaging, and of course the product within. It can be tricky to know what to invest in first, so I've noticed that the brand has conveniently created a number of skits, including the TATCHA Jet Set Travel Kit, as a great starting point. (This one happens to include favorites that work well for the busy traveler).

          The entire TATCHA Jet Set Travel Kit is housed in a pretty lavender PVC zip pouch with gold logo detailing. The front is clear, while the back is an opaque lavender. It's cute, practical, and TSA-friendly!

          Inside the TATCHA Jet Set Kit you'll find the following:

• TATCHA Travel Size Indigo Soothing Silk Hand Cream (click for my review) - It's worth noting that the Indigo collection is one of my favorite TATCHA collections! The full size Indigo hand cream has been a long-time resident in my work purse; it sinks in quickly with just the right amount of hydration. 
• TATCHA Aburatorigami Blotting Papers (click for my review) - These gold-flecked sheets are such an indulgent set of mini blotting papers. I have a close-up of the textures in my linked review!
• TATCHA Luminous Dewy Skin Mist (click for my review) - This is a really handy hands-free skin moisturizer. As I wrote in my review, my favorite use for the skin mist is as a hydrating / smoothing base before foundation. (I'm thinking it'll come in handy for keeping skin hydrated on flights as well...)
• TATCHA Gold Camellia Nourishing lip balm - I've been testing the Camellia for some time now, but have yet to write a full review! Overall, it's got a nice texture that's smooth without being overly emollient.

• TATCHA Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Mask
• TATCHA Luminous Deep Hydration Revitalizing Eye Mask 

       The Jet Set Kit comes with the above facial and eye masks as well. I'm debating whether I want to use these now, or save them for a later travel date! They'd be perfect for a mini spa treatment for someone with a busy itinerary (as is often the case during my travels...)

      Overall, the TATCHA Jet Set Travel Kit ($125) is a delightful little set of TATCHA favorites that I'm planning on enjoying both now and on my travels-to-come. It has a nice mix of full size items (like the mist and balm), as well as miniature ones. Should the Jet Set Kit tickle your fancy, it (and other TATCHA treasures) can be found at Tatcha.com!

         Thanks for reading! What TATCHA treasures have you been enjoying lately? What kind of skincare kits do you construct for traveling?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. I'm planning on mixing and matching from different Tatcha sets during my travels. Be sure to check out my review of the TATCHA Ritual Discovery Kit for more travel friendly skincare!

Fresh Sugar Addiction Mini Lip Collection review + swatches

          For Holiday 2012, fresh has a number of colorfully packaged gift sets to brighten up the season. The whimsical packaging design was inspired by vintage Champagne catalogues in France and is meant to embody a spirit of merrymaking and cheer. I have the fresh Sugar Addiction Mini Lip Collection to share with you today!

         The fresh Sugar Addiction Mini Lip collection contains six miniature lip treatments. The fresh tinted lip treatments include: Sugar Rose, Sugar Honey, Sugar Coral, Sugar Berry, and Sugar Passion. There classic fresh Sugar Lip Treatment is also included. Each lip treatment has SPF15 and is 0.08oz. (full sized fresh lip treatments are 0.15oz.) The tubes are constructed from the typical fresh plastic coated with metal. The caps to these mini lip treatments should be twisted (as opposed to pulled) off.

          The swatches of each fresh Lip Treatment is shown below. Each lip treatment is sheer as one would expect of tinted lip balm. Sugar Rose is a light sheer pink. Sugar Honey is a warm nude. Sugar Coral is a pink coral. Sugar Berry is a sheer pink mauve. Sugar Passion is a red-pink. Sugar is a clear lip treatment.

          The fresh Sugar Addiction Mini Lip Collection ($48) is a festive and practical set to give or get this season. The sets are a great way to try a variety of the popular fresh lip treatments without breaking the bank. The set I have has six fresh lip treatments, however other sets are available in three, five, and eight tube sizes. Thanks for reading! Have you tried fresh lip treatments? Which is your favorite? Have you tried any other products from fresh?

Love, Dovey.

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.